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Who is Min Woo Lee? Know the Australian golfer

Who is Min Woo Lee? Know the Australian golfer

Min Woo Lee is an Australian golfer who features predominantly in the European and the PGA Tour.

After an impressive showing in 2023, where he won two titles and finished T5 at the US Open, Lee became one of the country’s most sought-after golfers.

Lee has won four professional golf titles so far – three on the European Tour and one on the Asian Tour. He is set to make his Olympics debut at the Paris 2024 alongside his elder sister Minjee Lee.

The Min Woo Lee family

Min Woo Lee was born on July 27, 1998, in Perth, Western Australia to Soonam and Clara Lee. His parents migrated from the Republic of Korea back in the 1990s and settled in Australia.

The Lee household was very passionate about golf and both the Lee siblings were encouraged to pursue the sport from a young age. Minjee Lee turned professional in 2014 and has been a constant fixture in Australia’s Olympic golf contingent since Rio 2016.

Min Woo Lee, meanwhile, went on to represent Australia in various other junior and amateur events, before turning pro in 2019.

Interestingly, the brother and sister duo made their first breakthrough at the US Junior Amateur meet. Minjee Lee became the first-ever Australian to win the prestigious title in 2012 and four years later, Min Woo Lee won the title as well, becoming the first male golfer to do so.

The Lee siblings are the only brother-sister duo to emerge victorious there.

Minjee and Min Woo Lee will also make history as the first siblings to compete in Olympic golf for Australia. The pair will become the 16th Australian sister and brother pair to compete in the same sport at the same Summer Games edition.

Min Woo Lee: Early success and rise as pro

It didn’t take long for the Western Australian to make his mark at the senior level. He started featuring regularly on the European Tour and finished fourth in the Saudi International in his debut appearance in 2019.

Lee went on to pick up his first professional title after claiming victory at the 2020 Vic Open. This win, backed by some other impressive performances, saw him make his debut on the PGA Tour the same year. He took part in the Arnold Palmer Invitational in the USA.

In 2021, Lee made another stellar impression on the European Tour – beating the likes of Thomas Detry and Matt Fitzpatrick in a final hole playoff to win the Scottish Open. This won him an invitation to the Open Championship hosted at the Royal St George Golf Club.

Min Woo Lee secured a special temporary membership to the PGA Tour in 2023 and won the Macau Open on the Asian Tour later that year. He shot a tournament record 254 (30-under-par) at Coloane to storm his way to the title.

He also finished tied fifth at the US Open 2023 – Lee’s best finish in a golf major till date. He then capped off the year with a victory at home in the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship.

Min Woo Lee qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics by finishing 36th on the Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR) during the qualification window.

Min Woo Lee’s achievements and titles

  • Became the first Australian male golfer to win the prestigious US Junior Amateur title
  • Won his first title as a pro at the Vic Open 2020
  • Won the Scottish Open 2021 in the European Tour
  • Won the Macau Open of the Asian Tour in October 2023
  • Won the Australian PGA Championship in November 2023
  • Finished T5 in the US Open 2023, his best performance in a major championship
  • Achieved a career-best ranking of 31 in March 2024.